madagascar vanilla red tea

Jeremy just went out on a run, and I figured now would be the best time today to sit down with my cup o' tea and write. One of my dearest friends has recently spurred me on to read Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier, she said it would be right down my alley. She was right. I have scarcely been able to tear myself away to go to class. (Don't worry, Mom. I did.) The story is so engrossing, and I relate to the protagonist, Sorcha, so well. The fact that it's set in ancient Ireland helps too.
Sorcha is the youngest of six older brothers, before she was born she was thought to be a seventh son or a seventh son, but she turned out to be a girl. Her mother died in childbirth, and her father turned into a shell of a man at her mother's death. Sorcha's older brothers raised her, and thus the seven of them have a incredibly strong bond between them. I'm to the point in the story where an evil woman has bewitched her father into marrying her, and has turned Sorcha's brothers into swans. Sorcha must complete a seemingly impossible task, taking her perhaps years, to break the enchantment. She suffers night and day for the brothers she loves so much, and is never allowed to utter a single word to anyone, especially about her story.
I'm not even halfway through it, but I'm loving it. The connection and love she shares with her brothers really tugs at my own heart. I have three older brothers, the youngest and only daughter of my parents. Luckily, no such tragedy has befallen my family as it did Sorcha's, but I cannot get over her relationship with her brothers. They love her so much, and hate that they are the cause of her sufferings, but Sorcha is glad to be helping her brothers. Yes, she suffers, but it's for the people she loves best. I would do almost anything for my brothers, and I know that they love me as much as I them, and it's neat to put myself and my brothers into this story. Stephen would be Liam, our fearless leader, stoically sensitive in his own way, but has an authority no one questions, and a love obvious through all he says. Drew would be Conor, wise and mature beyond his years. Learned in many ways, skilled in many arts, and also a leader in his own rite. Jake would be Padriac, the most sensitive and kind of all the brothers, cherishing all living things, and skilled with his hands. I would be Sorcha, though she more skilled than I in her way, we do both love our brothers well, and that is the biggest similarity I see between us. Family comes first, and I do wish that my brothers were all nearer to me, I miss being able to gather together as a whole family. I am thankful I have my Jacob close to me though, for he has been gone for a long time. Drew is not so far that I couldn't see him if I needed to, but Stephen is halfway across the world from me, and I miss his immensely. I pray for his, and all my brothers, safety everyday in the hope that in the coming future we might be able to be all together again, relishing in each others company and good humor.

Continuing to sip my rooibos tea,

Caitlin